Penstemon plant named &#39;crushed grapes&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Penstemon  plant characterized by purple flowers on numerous, very short, flowering stems, and with a compact habit.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Penstemon hybrid.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Crushed Grapes’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of asuffrutescent perennial, Penstemon hybrid, and is given the cultivarname, ‘Crushed Grapes’. Penstemon are in the family Scrophulariaceae.This new cultivar which originated as an open pollinated seedling fromPenstemon ‘Sweet Grapes’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,549) progeny.Selections had been made yearly to improve the habit by making it morecompact as well as to increase the bloom number, the number ofinflorescences, and to reduce the height of the flower stalks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This new cultivar is characterized by:

-   -   1) Deep purple flowers.    -   2) High flower number on a tight inflorescence.    -   3) Persistent basal foliage with a compact habit.    -   4) Numerous short flowering stalks.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(cuttings). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics tothe original plant. Asexual propagation by tip cuttings using standardpropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots as done inCanby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctionscome true to form and are established and transmitted through succeedingpropagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary withvariations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The drawing shows a two-year-old Penstemon ‘Crushed Grapes’ growing inthe ground in full sun in the trial garden in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Penstemon hybridbased on observations of two-year-old specimens grown in the ground infull sun under typical outdoor conditions in Canby, Oreg. Canby is inZone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95degrees F. in August to 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall inCanby is 42.8 inches per year in the trial fields in Canby, Oreg. Thecolor descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural SocietyColour Chart.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—herbaceous perennial.        -   Form.—compact basal rosette.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.        -   Size.—15 cm tall and 35 cm wide, not including bloom.        -   Habit.—suffrutescent, foliage doesn't die down in the            winter.        -   Vigor.—good.        -   Roots.—fibrous, freely branching, white in color, White            155A. Roots develop slowly from stem cuttings.-   Stem leaves:    -   -   Type.—simple.        -   Arrangement.—opposite on internodes growing to 4 cm.        -   Shape.—lanceolate.        -   Venation.—pinnate.        -   Margins.—entire, somewhat undulate.        -   Apex.—acuminate, tips often curl to one side.        -   Base.—sessile.        -   Blade size.—grows to 9 to 13 cm long and 14 to 18 mm wide.        -   Surface texture.—glabrous, shiny.        -   Leaf color.—deep green, between Yellow Green 147A and Green            137A top and bottom, with prominent main vein on bottom,            Yellow Green 145B.-   Basal leaves: Same as above except internodes only grow to 0.5 cm    and leaves only grow to 5 cm long and 1.5 cm wide, petiolate,    petioles 3 mm long and 1 mm wide, Yellow Green 145B-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—thyrse, virgate and weakly secund.        -   Number of flowers.—30 to 40 per thyrse.        -   Peduncle.—grows to 20 cm tall and 6 mm wide, between Yellow            Green 145B, glabrous (see Stem leaves above for leaves).        -   Pedicel.—grows to 1 cm long, glabrous, Yellow Green 145B.        -   Bloom period.—June to July.-   Flower Bud:    -   -   Size.—3 cm long and 8 mm wide.        -   Description.—closed tubular, bulging.        -   Color.—Purple 77A.-   Flower:    -   -   Type.—perfect, zygomorphic.        -   Shape.—tubular, bilabiate, with a narrow tube for 5 mm,            inflating for 16 mm, flaring into the lobes, the two top            lobes shallowly cut and three bottom more deeply divided,            flare down, and curl back at the sides.        -   Size.—3.5 cm long and 17 mm wide at flare.        -   Color.—Purple 77A on upper lobes and tube with White 155D in            a band at the base of the lower lobes and Purple 77B on            lower lobes, back side is Purple 77B.        -   Calyx.—5 lobes, cut ⅔ to base, overlapping, ovate shaped            lobes, margins irregularly serrate, acuminate tip,            campanulate, 5 mm deep and 3.5 mm wide, Yellow Green 145A.        -   Stamen.—5, one sterile without an anther, held within the            corolla, filaments 20 mm long, White 155A, bearded Purple            70A on top side and Purple 75A on bottom side, anthers 2.5            mm long, pollen Yellow White 158B        -   Pistil.—2 cm long, ovary 3 mm long and Yellow Green 146C,            style 15 mm, Yellow White 158D.        -   Fragrance.—none.        -   Lastingness.—each thyrse blooms for about 3 weeks on the            plant.-   Fruit:    -   -   Type.—capsule.        -   Fertility.—good.        -   Size.—1.2 cm deep and 4 mm wide.        -   Color.—Brown 200A to B.-   Seed:    -   -   Shape.—irregular.        -   Size.—2 mm long.        -   Color.—Brown 200A.-   Disease and pest resistance: Excellent disease tolerance to root    rot, a common problem for Penstemon. Leaf spot, rust, and powdery    mildew may be a problem, but have not been observed on Penstemon    ‘Crushed Grapes’.-   Comparisons to similar Penstemon Compared to Penstemon ‘Sweet    Grapes’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,549), this new cultivar has shorter    and more numerous flowering stems.

1. A new and distinct Penstemon plant substantially as shown anddescribed.